Training

Training

As some of you will already know, we regularly have senior medical students from Aberdeen University training at the surgery for several weeks at a time. This is a vital part of their undergraduate training and with 90% of patient contact in the NHS occurring in General Practice, we also feel it gives them a chance to experience life away from the wards and lecture theatres. After spending time sitting in with all the members of the primary care team they get an opportunity to run their own surgeries with help from one of the doctors. These have been very successful and offer them invaluable experience of GP life. We would therefore like to thank all of you who have kindly allowed the students either to ‘sit in’ during your consultation or to be seen by them individually. Dr Nicki Showell and Dr Doug Smith currently supervise the visiting medical students although the student will typically spend time sitting in with all of our doctors and nurses. You will be advised of their presence on arrival but are completely free to ask to be seen alone should you prefer.

We are also a long established practice which offers training for qualified doctors who which to become GP's. Currently Dr Mike Steven, Dr Valerie Steven and Dr Sandy Rough are involved with supporting our GP trainees during their 3 year training programme, GP’s in training spend the first 6 months of their programme in a GP surgery before returning back to the hospital environment for a further 18 months. The last 12 months are then spent back in general practice. At anyone time we can usually have x3 GP trainees linked to the practice in addition to visiting medical students. Having a trainee GP onboard offers several advantages, including more appointments for you. It also helps keep us up-to-date and on our toes!

DOCTORS! Want to become a GP? Interested in doing your GP training with us at Banchory Surgery?

We also occasionally offer work experience for school pupils wishing to become medical students. Confidentiality is strictly adhered to and are only offered to pupils who do not reside in the local area.

The GP trainee holds regular ‘Video Surgeries’. This is usually a once-a-week surgeries during which the consultations will be video recorded for training purposes. Patients are notified of this when booking the appointment and are given a consent form before and afterwards. You are therefore entirely free to decline to be involved at any stage and all videos are confidential and are destroyed after the registrar completes their training. You can also request for the video to be turned off at any time

What’s the point of video surgeries?

Good communication between doctors and patients is vital. Even the best doctor, with all the best knowledge and clinical skills to hand, cannot help you much if he/she can’t build a trusting relationship and get to the bottom of your health needs. Regular reflective teaching through video analysis can help doctors to achieve this.